Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-11-22

Capt. Owen, she wondered; if so, he was not |
at all like her ideal
'sMary Price" he replied gravely, lis gone |
out with her young man, John Parker, and |
will not be back just yet, am afraid"
"Oh said Miss Denzil; then am speak |
ing to Capt. OwenF
He bowed
81 am Dick owen,n he said. "May ask
if l have the honor of addressing Miss Lo-
maxg"
"No," she said; "Miss Lomax is married
and has left the place"
Married. he exclaimed, in a tone of in
tense disappointment. I'm awfully sorry
for that
Indeed Was she friend of yoursr-
demurely.
''She was and she wasn't. | never saw her
in my life, but l fell in love with her through
the post, and l came here fully resolved to
marry her myself"
Mary Denzil laughed gleefully.
81 am sorry that you should have arrived
too late" she said 'for falling in love
through the post is rather a novel idea.
Why didn't you propose by means of the
telephonem
81 wish had by electric telegraph" he
said, echoing her laugh; "but kept hoping
to get down here, and was never well enough
till now The fact is, Miss Lomax wrote such
charming letters to my soldier servant
don't look so shocked, pray, she was only
deputy and amanuensis for his sweetheart
that lost my heart to her at once, and really
did hope
He paused.
THAT the lady had returned the compli-
ment!' she asked, coloring. He was too alb
surd for anything, she thought
well, you know, they were very pretty
love letters, and sometimes one was apt to
forget Jack" he said, comically. Parker
told me that it was Miss Lomax wrote the,
letters, and that she was the rectors daugh-
ter here; so, when the doctor ordered country
air came to her village-alasl too lateI"-
signing.
Il feel for your disappointed hopes" said
his laughing auditor; but as they were SO
very dream like dare say you will recover
from the shock"
"But," he said, with sudden earnestness,
81 am really sorry! l read the heart and the
mind of that girl in manner one seldom
can, and l honestly and truly admired her."
Miss Denzil blushed crimson; the situation
was growing embarrassing.
"Well,n she said, still speaking lightly,
| ''the lady ought to be flattered. Are you
| going to make any stay here!'
"Nes; | have taken rooms at the little
village inn, and shall stay week or so,
think, in spite of my disappointment
| Il hope the air may do you good and re-
store your strength said Miss Denzil, cour-
teously ',Good morning, Capt. Owen"
And she hurried away, thankful that she
had told Mary not to let any one know mot
even jack that she had written her letters
4 for her.
| On her arrival at home she made her
rather grim aunt laugh by her story of the
eccentric Capt. Owens matrimonial inten-
lions toward Miss Lomax, and Mrs Bell de-
cided that, as hero, a V. c, and "a charae-
ter she would write to Capt. Owen to in
vite him to dinner.
| The invitation was accepted, and Capt
Owen, frank and light hearted hero as he
was, enlivened the Old hall considerably
and proving to be the son of an old friend Of
Mrs. Bells won at once her liking and favor
His weeks stay in the village was pro
longed considerably, but he soon exchanged
his rooms at the inn for one at the rectory
Mr.. LoHlax having taken great fancy Il
him; and then (his funny love story anus
ing the rector greatly his suspicious wer,
directed by him rightly toward his unknown
correspondent 1t CHANGED that the very
morning he had been so enlightened he me
Miss Dennl in the park He joined her, a
was his wont, and they walked on together
But Richard Owen was no longer in his usua
high spirits and after while his companion
asked anxiously if he was still suffering from
his wound?
NO. he said, rather sadly, "my wound i
healed, but am horribly ashamed of myself
, l should like to know what you thought O
my disgraceful nonsense about Miss Lomax.
, "What l thoughts Well, | thought i
rather good joke she said, blushing.
s "a joke only If you had been Miss L.
S max, should have had a chancef'-eagerly
g Il can't really tell " hat might have don
r or said if l had been Miss Lomax," she al
e swered, little nervously.
r ALI Miss Denzil, it was not joke o
my part at all vowed that my corr,
a spondent should be my wife if possible;
;, least, that | would ask her But instead {
n the poor rector's daughter l find her a
q heiress, and she might think me fortur
u hunter II tplt heT oI my RESOLUTION. W M
~ can dog
Miss Denzii's eyes were on the ground an
y her cheeks bushing, but she said softly:
Il Ask her.
q And he o!,eyed
Y .
e They walked hack 10 the hall some tin
II afterward to tell Mrs Bell that the hitheri
, unwiGnahle heiress had plighted hand an
). heart to the Young soldier
IS That half Jest was, after all, the wise
IN thing ! ever uttered, said Capt. Owen; ''ft
" unless had told you of my sincere admir-
ton before | knew who you were. | shoIl
never have had courage to hint at nv 10,
u u for you, Mary"
4 Il thought yon the most absurd person
: h. ever SEN said Mary laughing; "ar
:, yet-and yet was pleased, for saw yt
" really meant that yon liked me
They were married few months aste
y ward
Mary Price and John Parker had be-
settled already in II cottage on the estate, al
80 Miss Danzil had taken care to provide f,
her humble friends, for without them, as 81
, used to say, she and her gallant husbaI
would never have met
- And YETI she would add, "when we u
dertook the correspondence of those po
= lovers, who could ever have thought VIII
=. woHld come of it'll. Valentine in Hon